Championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out of Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix on the opening lap after being stranded on the grid following a false start.
He fell to last position and then began his chase through the field, but lost control at Turn Five and hit the wall after locking up at Turn Six.
The 24-year-old Australian emerged unhurt from the incident, which marked his first non-points-scoring finish this season.
This dramatic exit brought to an end Piastri’s impressive 34-race scoring streak that had defined his championship campaign.
McLaren began the race seeking to clinch a second consecutive constructors’ championship, needing to outscore Ferrari by nine points.
Piastri had led team-mate Lando Norris by 31 points in the drivers’ championship standings coming into the Baku event.
Norris started from seventh on the grid, two places ahead of Piastri, and was running in eighth position when a Safety Car was deployed following his team-mate’s crash.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen started from pole position and after making a clean start led ahead of Williams driver Carlos Sainz and Racing Bulls’ rookie Liam Lawson after four laps. – AFP
